Combination cupboard and table



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F.I HQLLWAGER COMBINATION CUPBOARD AND TABLE Filed vApril 8. 1937 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Frederick Hollwager, Massillon, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Belmont G. Cope, Akron, Ohio Application April 8, 1937, Serial No. 135,732

1 Claim.

'The invention relates to a combined shelf cupboard and table so arranged that it is quickly and easily convertible from a cupboard to a table or vice versa and so constructed that when in use as 5 either a cupboard or a table it may be converted to the other position without the necessity of removing dishes or other articles which may be upon the shelves of the cupboard or upon the top of the table, as the case may be.

" A further object is to provide an article of the character referred to so constructed that when converted to form a cupboard, both the back and front of the shelves are covered and provided with doors which may be opened to obtain access to the articles upon the shelves.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and the fol lowing description or which may be later referred to may be attained by constructing the cornbined cupboard and table in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a front elevation of the invention showing the structure converted into form of a cupboard;

Fig. 2, a side elevation in the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a vertical sectional view taken as on the line 3 3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, a side elevation of the device converted into a table; and

Fig. 5 is a detached detail elevation of the rectangular hinged frame which forms the front of the cupboard, viewed from the inside of the cupboard, and with the doors removed therefrom.

3 5 Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

The improved structure to which the invention pertains may be supported upon a back board I [I which may be attached to a wall or other vertical support. The horizontally disposed board I IA which forms the lowermost shelf of the cupboard is rigidly connected to the back board I0 and may be supported thereon as by the brackets I2.

Each of the side walls I3 has fixed to its inner side a metal plate or bar I4 connected at its upper and lower ends to the side wall as by the screws I5. The lower end of each of these metal plates or bars is pivotally connected to the rigid lower shelf II as at I6.

A pair of metal plates or bars I I, similar to and parallel with the bars or plates I4, is provided. These plates or bars Il are pivotally connected at their lower ends, as indicated at I8, to brackets `I9 fixed to the underside of the rigid shelf II at each end thereof.

(Cl. S12- 2) Any desired number of shelves 20, depending upon the height of cupboard and width of table desired, may be uniformly spaced above the stationary shelf I5 and pivotally connected at their rear edges tothe plates or bars I4, as indicated at 5 2|, and provided at their forward edges with depending brackets 22 by means of which they may be pivoted to the bars or plates I'I, as indicated at 23.

Each of the side walls I3 of the cupboard may 10 have a hinged section 24 hingedly connected to the section I3 as by the hinges 25 and so arranged that it may be folded inward for a purpose to be later described.

The top of the cupboard comprises a board 26 15 Xed to the back board Ill and of a Width substantially the width of the side walls I3, and a hinged section 21 hingedly connected to the board 26 as by the hinges 28 and having a front wall 29 xed to its forward edge and adapted to rest upon the top of the uppermost shelf 20 when the device is converted into a cupboard. Triangular side walls 30 may be fixed to the hinged top and front walls 2l and 29 respectively and adapted to 'lt the inclined upper ends of the hinged side sec- 25 tions 24 as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

A horizontal frame member 3| is hingedly connected to the uppermost shelf 20 as indicated at 32 and a similar frame member 3l is hingedly connected to the fixed bottom shelf I I as indicated at 32d and have fixed thereto the spaced front boards 33 and 34 forming an open rectangular frame within which may be hingedly mounted doors 35 as by the hinges 36, to give access to the shelves when the device is converted into a cupboard.

Suitable knobs 3'I may be provided upon the doors and any suitable latch-ing or locking means, as indicated at 38 for normally holding the doors in closed position. Knobs 39 may be provided upon the front edge of the uppermost shelf 20 for pulling the shelves outward and downward to convert the device to a table. Any suitable latching means as shown at 40 may be provided and 45 operated as by the push button 4I for holding the shelves in raised position when the device is converted to a cupboard, as best shown in Fig. 3.

Brackets 42 may be attached to the lower forwardly projecting portions 43 of the side walls 50 I3 and provided with the plates 44 adapted to overlap the ends of the hinged side sections 24 and with fingers 45 adapted to overlap the front boards 33 when the device is converted to a cupboard, wear plates 4B preferably being provided 55 upon said front boards for contact with said fingers.

If desired, a door 41 may be provided in the back wall l0, being connected thereto as by the hinges 48 so that access may be had to the device from either side thereof. For instance, the back wall l0 may be mounted upon a wall between a kitchen and a dining room so that access may be had to the shelves of the cupboard from either room or, when the device is converted into a table, dishes or other articles may be placed upon or removed from the table from either room.

When it is desired to convert the device to a table, the hinged top section 21-29-30 is swung upward and backward to the position shown in Fig. 4. Then the button 4l may be pressed, releasing the latch 40 and by pulling outward upon the knobs 39 the entire structure is swung down to the position shown in Fig. 4, the shelves Il-ZG-ZU being arranged in juxtaposition in a horizontal plane forming a table top.

This may be accomplished even though dishes or other articles are resting upon the several shelves of the cupboard as the shelves do not move out of horizontal position as they are moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4. If it is desired to sit at the table the hinged end sections 24 may be swung upward into horizontal position to provide knee room. In Figi 4 it will be seen that the nearest hinged :section 24 is thus swung up into horizontal position while the farthest section 24 remains in normal position.

To convert the device into a cupboard it is only necessary that the shelves and the parts supporting the same be pushed back against the back wall and when they reach the limit of their movement in this direction the latch 40 will automatically lock the parts in this position, after which the hinged top section may be swung back to normal position to cover the uppermost shelf 20.

I claim:

A combination cupboard and table comprising a fixed vertical back member, a horizontal bottom shelf fixed to said back member, spaced parallel pairs of rear and front bars, the lower ends of the rear bars being pivotally connected to the rear corner portions of the xed shelf and the lower ends of the front bars being pivotally connected beneath the front corners of the fixed shelf, and spaced shelves pivotally connected at their rear corners to the rear bars and pivotally connected beneath their front corners to the front bars and so positioned that they may be swung outward away from said back member and located in juxtaposition to each other in a horizontal plane in which position the rear bars Will rest upon the front bars to support the shelves in horizontal position and side walls fixed at their rear edges to the rear bars, the forward portions of the side walls being hinged so as to swing upward beneath the shelves when said shelves are located in a horizontal plane.

FREDERICK HOLLWAGER. 

